Question: The sum of $3$ consecutive even numbers is $78$. What is the second number in this sequence?
Explanation: Call the first number in the sequence $x$ The next even number in the sequence is $x + 2$ The sum of the $3$ consecutive even numbers is: $x+ (x + 2)+ (x + 4) = 78$ $3x + 6= 78$ $3x = 72$ $x = 24$ Since $x$ is the first number, $x + 2$ is the second even number. Thus, the second number in the sequence is $26$.